The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-01-22
A SlAMESE EXECUTION.
United states Minister Child Describes Ho,
Three Criminals We're DecaDitated

criminals Were Decapitated.
WIN number of Europeans and
| attended a Siamese execu-
uoh, where the sword is used in the
Of justice. The execution
TOOK place in the sqnare near one of the
waits, open to all. As the hour set for
the dread event was four .. III our party
secured carriage, and notwithstanding
It was raining at the time, drove to the
ground, but the shower soon passed
over, the sun shone brightly, and after
our arrival preparations were made by
inserting in the ground three bamboo
crosses about two feet in length, to
which the arms of the doomed men were
to be tied, they sitting on the ground,
and three poles about six feet long upon
which were to be placed the heads of
the criminals. This done the crowd
was driven back. The doleful sound of
agong beating at short intervals, the
sudden hush of the crowd, told that the
prisoners were approaching and in the
center of squad of soldiers and police
men they entered the place that had
been reserved, about thirty feet square.
The soldiers and police formed in the
s'uare as means of keeping the spec
ttors back, Siamese nobleman ex-
AHMED the crosses to see that every thing
VS. ready, the judges of the court were
attendance. escorted by attendants
Earring swords in red velvet sheaths.
- sAs0ners. three in number, (the
Ksag. who is very humane, having COM
mued the sentence of fourteen to i'm
prisnment for life on his birthday,
seehd perfectly cool and collected.
Theyhad each a long bamboo pool,
some six feet in length, on their necks,
in the Gont Of which was an oval piece
of wooothrough which their hands were
placed, with chains on their Hecks
and legs In Il short time the yolles
and chains on their necks were taken
off and as the ground was wet and
muddy by the tramping of the crowd,
large banana leaves were placed on the
ground and they were ordered to squat
down on them; then they were fastened
to the crosses, the flowers and sticks
were stuck in the ground in front of
them, the sticks lighted and for few
minutes the victims of the law prayed
most feryently in silence, they having
been engaged in paryer at the wat
about four hours previous to being
brought to the place of execution. This
over, mud was inserted in their ears 50
that they could not hear the execution
ers when they approached, and were in
structed to lean forward and keep their
eyes riveted on the flowers and burning
sticks. While waiting the coming Of the
eXecutioners, the chief of the band of
robbers smoked cigarette, and it was
only by the heaving of his chest that
one could detect my emotion. All of u
sudden the crowd parted, three eXecu-
toners, dressed in red with gold fringe on
their clothes, glided through the oper-
ing, dancing as they came, saluted with
their shining swords, and on reaching
the prisoners the bright steel flashed in
tie air, you heard a thud, the head fell
to one side, hanging by a piece of skin,
vAe law was avenged. With an
other salute the executioners disap-
peared; then man with sharp knife
severed the heads and stuck them on
the poles, a hideous sight, then coolly
chopped the hands of the dead men off
80 as to oct the irons that were solidly
riveted on, and the bodies were left on
the ground for the vultures to eat or for
their friends to steal and give burial
after nightfall. The heads were taken
off simultaneously, SO quick that Icould
scarcely realize it, and it seemed to me
that death was instantaneous, save that
the heads showed spasmodic action, the
eyes and mouth opening and shutting,
which lasted for some time after being
on the poles
The crowd in attendance was most
orderly, not drunken man to be seen,
and entire silence prevailed, and when
the execution was over left the grounds
without the least confusion and there
could not have been less than thou
sand present.
The scene was one that could not fail
to impress the crowd of spectators; the
small grass plot, Gordon Of police soldiers
with a mass of faces peering behind
them, the three prisoners attached to the
crosses with heads bent forward, the
entrance of the scarlct-clad execution
ers with cleaning swords, their sinuouS
sidelons dance until they had reached
the rear of the doomed men, then, like
flash of lightning, the bright steeI
gleaned and three violators of law had
ceased to exist the blood squirting il
ietsfrom the torso while the head hung
bva small piece of skin, as the execu,
toner never cuts the head clear of.
GNyo of the bodies fell over on the ground
VINE one remained erect. The prison.
ers were old offenders; one of them,
was informed having been implicated
infifteen robberies and several murders
He was the chief, but had Slipped
through the meshes of the law repeat.
edly by the use Of money; the other;
were younger men and one of worthy
parentage, but his money did not save
him, as an example was needed